A Pierce County woman is accused of starving one of her horses because she didn’t want to pay $200 to have it euthanized.

Prosecutors have charged the woman with first-degree animal cruelty. She has not been arrested.

The mare was seized by animal control officers in February and euthanized.

Animal control officers went to visit the mare after receiving a complaint that she was severely underweight.

They found the horse had cracked and overgrown hooves and worn off hair on its muzzle and cheeks from a halter that had been left on for an extended period, according to court records. …

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A King County sheriff’s deputy died Wednesday night at Tacoma General Hospital from injuries suffered in an off-duty motorcycle crash Monday near Frederickson, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Martin “Marty” Duran, 47, served in the Army before becoming a paramedic and firefighter in New Mexico, sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindi West said. He eventually became a deputy with the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico, and in 2004 started working for King County.

He most recently worked out of the Burien station, in the White Center and Skyway areas.

Pierce County sheriff’s deputies still are investigating the crash, which happened …

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Tacoma Fire conducted 30 medical evaluations at Saturday night’s Life in Color event at the Tacoma Dome, the local stop of the electronic music tour dubbed “the world’s largest paint party” on its promotion website.

Eight of those patients were taken to hospitals; three were advanced life support patients and five were basic life support, according to Tacoma Fire.

Both Tacoma Fire and Tacoma Dome general manager Rob Henson said federal privacy laws prevent them from releasing and/or obtaining information about the conditions of the patients, but Henson said dehydration was a primary concern.

Water was handed out at …

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A U-haul truck of football memorabilia and supplies from a charity auction for the Trufant Family Foundation was stolen the morning of May 19 from a hotel parking lot in South Renton, according to Renton police.

The truck was found in the area of Lake Desire, between Renton and Maple Valley, but its cargo from the event the night before was gone.

The “Dress to Impress” fundraising gala was to benefit the foundation started by NFL cornerback Marcus Trufant in 2003, which supports youth programs and aims to help disadvantaged youths “realize their dreams,” according to the foundation’s website. …

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A Bonney Lake woman was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days community service and 15 days house arrest after being convicted of embezzling money from her homeowners’ association and her former employer.

Jeanette Sturtz, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree theft prior to Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson handing down the sentence.

Sturtz admitted she stole more than $10,000 from her homeowners’ association in 2010 and another $25,000 from a landscape company she worked for in 2010 and 2011.

Her boss at the landscaping company told detectives he thought Sturtz stole from him in part to pay back the …

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A sprinkler system greatly diminished damage at an Auburn townhome after a fire broke out in a dryer today, according to the Valley Regional Fire Authority.

Flames were spotted about 11:35 a.m. inside a home at Emerald Court Townhomes, 1814 I Street Northeast. By the time firefighters arrived, the sprinkler system had gone off and contained the blaze to the laundry room.

The homeowner will not be displaced due to the minimal damage.

Federal Way police are searching for a man who robbed a bank this morning.

The suspect did not appear to have a weapon when he walked into a Chase Bank branch at 34624 16^th Avenue South about 10:30 a.m., police said.

He fled with an undisclosed amount of money in an older model gray Chevrolet van with gold rims.

The robber was described as being in his 30s with dark skin, brown eyes and a bald head. He was heavyset and wore a hat, black pants and a black jacket.

Officers are using a police dog to search the area …

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A warrant was issued Tuesday for a 27-year-old man suspected of robbing two convenience stores in Pierce County.

Authorities believe Steven Tongue used a shotgun to hold up two 7-11 stores May 9-10. Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of first-degree robbery.

The first robbery took place in the 13700 block of Pacific Avenue late May 9; the second was in the 5600 block of South Birmingham Street about 1 a.m. May 10.

In both cases, the clerks reported that a man with a shotgun demanded cash before fleeing.

An officer responding to the Tacoma robbery actually interviewed Tongue, …

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